China BASF-YPC delays cracker start-up to end-Apr: Trade

21 April 2005 11:40  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (CNI)--China's BASF-YPC Co will delay the start-up of its 600,000 tonne/year ethylene plant in Nanjing until the end of April, market sources told CNI on Thursday.

Many industry players were following the start-up plan closely in anticipation of higher downstream supplies in the Chinese market.

The naphtha cracker, which also produces 300,000 tonne/year of propylene, was originally scheduled to start-up this weekend. However, the start-up is be pushed back to April 25-27, partially to accommodate some minor repairs, market sources said.

BASF-YPC started producing low-density polyethylene (ldPE) at the cracker complex's downstream 400,000 tonne/year low density polyethylene unit several weeks ago. However, it had yet to start production at the 300,000 tonne/year mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) plant, which was scheduled for mid-May start-up.

The company is a 50:50 joint venture between BASF and Sinopec. BASF-YPC officials were unavailable for immediate comment.

By: Steve Tan
+65 6780 4359

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